Looks like everyone’s going MMO these days. That’s where the money comes pouring in, I suppose, even though we never get to see any here apart from the Korean ones. (That’s right, there’s not many WoW freaks here!) Close on the heels of the recently announced Elder Scrolls MMO, Montreal-based audio solution provider Audiokinetic have announced that are providing the Wwise audio tools that will be used in BioWare’s as-of-yet unannounced MMO - the first project from the new BioWare Austin studio.

In an official press release, Gordon Walton, Co-Studio Direction, BioWare Austin have praised the award-winning Wwise tools, which debuted with the ill-fated Shadowrun and has gone on to win many accolades and nominations across several game development awards. Powered by Perpetual server technology (Star Trek: Online) and the Simultronics HeroEngine, there is no word on what IP the MMO will actually be based on, even though rumors circulated all over the Internet around the time that EA bought BioWare that it would be set in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic universe.

However, while everyone is hungry for another Star Wars MMO after Galaxies went belly up, let’s not forget the fact that BioWare has a rich IP harem from which to draw inspiration for an MMO from - including great franchises such as Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, the upcoming Dragon Age as well as the Xbox 360 blockbuster of the year, Mass Effect.

Bah, but what do I care? MMOs never end up here anyway. I’ll take my single player RPG, please, with a side order of fries. Thank you.

PRESS RELEASE
BioWare Corp. adopts Wwise® for upcoming MMO

Audiokinetic’s award-winning solution to be used in MMO developed by BioWare Austin

Montreal, Canada – December 12, 2007 – Audiokinetic Inc., a leading audio solution provider for the video game industry, announced today that BioWare Austin, a development studio of BioWare Corp®, will use Audiokinetic’s audio solution, Wwise, as one of the technology tools used in the development of its upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online game (MMO).

“Wwise provided our team with a sophisticated and complete audio development tool for our online game experience,” says Gordon Walton, Co-Studio Director, BioWare Austin. “We wanted a complete authoring environment that would facilitate the development of a rich audio experience, and we’ve found Wwise to be a great fit.”

Another key factor in the selection was the support that Audiokinetic offers, and the opportunity that is given to BioWare to influence the choice of new functionalities in Wwise. “Over the time, our online game will evolve and so will our needs, “says Gordon Walton. “We see Audiokinetic as a excellent partner who has the capability to bring us more tools in the future that will help us create an unrivalled gaming experience.”

About Audiokinetic
Audiokinetic develops audio solutions for the video game industry. With Wwise, our integrated audio pipeline solution, we are setting new standards in audio production. This cost-efficient middleware increases productivity and simplifies the development process. Using Wwise, game developers have the flexibility, toolsets, and workflow necessary to dramatically advance the gaming experience. Audiokinetic is based in Montreal, QC, Canada. www.audiokinetic.com

About BioWare
BioWare Corp®. is an electronic entertainment company which develops computer, console, handheld and online video games focused on rich stories and memorable characters. Since 1995, BioWare® has created some of the world’s best-selling titles including the award-winning Baldur’s Gate™ and Neverwinter Nights™ series, as well as the 2003 Game of the Year, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™. Original BioWare-created IPs include the 2005 RPG of the Year, Jade Empire™ and the award winning Mass Effect™ with next-generation titles like Dragon Age™ currently in development. With studios in Edmonton, Canada, and Austin, Texas, BioWare is also hard at work on several unannounced projects including a massively multiplayer online game. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com.

BioWare, BioWare Corp., Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Jade Empire are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by BioWare Corp. in the U.S. and other countries.
All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

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